Managing and Deescalating Behaviors ECHO

The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the “Managing and Deescalating Challenging Behaviors in Hospital and Congregate Settings ECHO” initiative. This program will establish a five-year statewide learning collaborative based on the Project ECHO model, aimed at equipping inpatient and congregate setting providers across New York with skills to manage challenging and violent behavioral health incidents. The funding supports the delivery of training through case-based learning, didactic presentations, and peer discussion—focusing on the development of a cross-sector knowledge network among behavioral health professionals. Project ECHO does not offer direct care but instead builds practitioner expertise by connecting frontline staff with multidisciplinary experts. The goal of this program is to foster a sustainable learning community where participants can share de-escalation strategies, discuss complex clinical cases, and access expert feedback. It seeks to improve patient and staff safety in inpatient settings by reducing incidents of violence and aggressive behavior through the dissemination of best practices. Initially targeting inpatient hospital and Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) staff, the scope will later expand to include outpatient and community mental health providers, promoting systemic continuity of care. Each year, the program will support between four and eight cohorts of providers, with a minimum of six facilities per cohort. To support this initiative, OMH will award a single $1,500,000 contract distributed over five years, with annual allocations of $300,000. Applicants must be New York-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations or academic institutions capable of operating the training statewide. Providers must also be prequalified with the Statewide Financial System (SFS) to submit proposals. The Project ECHO sessions are expected to be delivered in 60-minute biweekly clinics, consisting of a 30-minute case presentation and a 30-minute didactic lesson, and must offer Continuing Education (CE), Continuing Medical Education (CME), and Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) credits for licensed professionals. The application process includes the optional submission of a Letter of Intent (LOI) by October 30, 2024, and final proposals are due by December 18, 2024, at 2:00 PM EST. Questions must also be submitted by October 30, 2024, with official answers posted on November 14, 2024. The contract award notification is expected by January 22, 2025, with the five-year contract term commencing on July 1, 2025. Submissions must be completed through the SFS online portal; paper or email submissions will not be accepted. Incomplete applications or those not conforming to the file upload guidelines may be rejected or penalized during scoring. Proposals will be evaluated in two parts—technical and financial. Technical review will award points for agency experience, program design, implementation plan, quality improvement metrics, inclusion and diversity strategies, and financial oversight. Applicants must demonstrate capacity to deliver a diversity-informed, trauma-responsive curriculum. The selected applicant must also track program data including attendance, clinic evaluations, and case participation metrics, and implement quality improvement mechanisms based on attendee feedback. All communication concerning this RFP must be directed to the designated contact: Jerry Witkop, Contract Management Specialist 1, via email at [email protected]. No other OMH personnel may be contacted during the procurement process. The RFP was released on October 9, 2024, and all materials related to the opportunity, including FAQs and addenda, are available via the OMH Procurement website. Proposers are responsible for staying up to date with any modifications or updates issued during the application window.